Storage bunkers



DSC' 22 1964 G. BoswlNKLE ETAL 3,162,497

STORAGE BUNKERS Filed Jan. 19, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec 22, 1964 G. Bosw'lNKL-E ETAL 3,162,497

STORAGE BUNKERS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. .19, .1962

DeC- 22, 1964 G. BOSWINKLE ETAL 3,162,497

STORAGE BUNKERS 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 19, 1962 Dec. Z2, 1964 G. BoswxNKLx-z ETAL 3,152,497

STORAGE BuNKERs Filed Jan. 19, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 United States Patent George Boswinirle, St. Joseph, Mich., Burial-d A. Nordal,

Scottsdale, Paris., and William F. Saenger, Si. .Ioseph,

Mich., assignors to Whirlpool Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Fiied dan. l?, T9252, Ser. No. ie? Claims. (Cl. SI2-248) This invention relates to storage apparatus particularly of a weight conserving type for use in space vehicles and the like.

In space vehicles it is of course necessary that the weight be kept to a minimum and that the living quarters for the occupants of the vehicle be as compact as possible. In addition, it is necessary that these quarters be self-contained and capable of functioning under conditions of substantially no gravity, normal gravity and forces ot several times gravity. This of course raises serious problems in storage cabinets or bunkers that will retain and maintain supplies necessary for the life and comfort of the occupants of the living quarters of the space vehicle.

The present invention is concerned with this problem of providing proper storage. Thus, one of the features of this invention is to provide improved storage means that will maintain stored supplies safely and securely under all normal conditions of weight ranging from substantially no weight at all through normal weight or gravity to forces equal to several times gravity.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the yfollowing description of one embodiment thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Of the drawings:

FIGURE l is a perspective View broken away for clarity of illustration of a portion of the living space within a space vehicle and illustrating a kitchen or food storage and preparation center.

FIGURE 2 is a front elevational view of the space kitchen with portions removed for clarity of illustration.

FIGURE 3 is a plan vie. f partially broken away of the storage cupboards of FIGURES I and 2.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 4 4 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 5 5 of FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 6 6 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 7 7 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary sectional View taken substantially along line d of FIGURE 6.

In the exemplary embodiment of the invention as disclosed in the drawings, a space kitchen generally designated 19 is shown as installed in a tubular shell Il which may comprise a portion of a space vehicle arranged to carry human passengers. As such a space vehicle encounters diiferent gravitational conditions including zero gravity conditions, the kitchen It? is arranged for elective operation under any one of such different gravitational conditions. The kitchen It) includes an oven generally designated I2 for heating packaged products such as precooked foods in suitable storage containers. Food storage facilities are provided in the kitchen It) in the form of freezer I4, refrigerator I5 and bunkers 29. The kitchen is arranged to store suiiicient food to maintain three men for a period of several weeks in space. The oven I2 is arranged to warm concurrently sufficient foodstuffs to comprise a meal for one man. This person utilizes the oven I2 while standing or sitting at a counter I7 spaced subjacent the oven. As best seen in FIGURE 2, the person standing or sitting at counter I7 has the ihZh'? Patented Dec. 22, i964 ICe oven I2 disposed immediately in front ot him with the freezer la and refrigerator IS conveniently located at his left and right hands respectively. In addition, water supply means I8 is immediately disposed to the left of refrigerator i5 and a waste bunker 19 is provided below the refrigerator IS.

As can be noted from FIGURES 1 and 2, there are l() elevated storage bunkers 20 aligned at the top of the kitchen Iii. For convenience these are numbered in FIGURE 2 from l to 10. All of the bunkers are rotatably mounted on a circular pipe 21 held by spaced clamps 22 that are fastened to the forward ends of forwardly extending hangers 23. These hangers are located at the ends ot the assembly of bunkers l-l() and between groups of bunkers as illustrated in FIGURE 5. The rear ends of these hangers 23 are bolted to structural members 24 that form part of the framework of the space vehicle. As shown in FIGURE 3 other structural members 25 are located rearwardly of the members 24.

As can be seen from the drawings and particularly FIGURE 4 which illustrates an end bunker No. l0, an interior wall 26 forms a support means for the bunkers. The second support means is the horizontal pipe 21 and under normal gravity conditions the center of gravity of the bunkers is inwardly of the pipe 21 and toward the wall 26. In addition to the wall 26 constituting the rst support means and the pipe 2l constituting the second support means, there is provided a third support means here shown as latches 27 normally engaging holders 28 attached to the wall 2d. The latches 27 are primarily intended to cooperate with the iirst and second support means to retain the bunkers in storage position when under conditions of no gravity or weightlessness.

The bunkers 20 are provided on their forward surfaces witb handles 2% which are aligned as illustrated in FIGURES l and 2 and being elevated operate as hand holds for a man working at the kitchen Iii. When the bunkers 2t) are to be moved to positions of access individually, the latch 27 on the desired bunker may be opened and the individual bunker rotated forwardly about the pipe ZI to a position of access as shown by dotted lines in FIGURE 4, In this position the individual bunker rests against a bumper strip 30 mounted on a series of hangers 31 similar to the hangers 23 with these hangers 31 being bolted or otherwise attached to a structural member portion 3:2.

Each of the bunkers 2li is provided with interior holding means for retaining stored supplies such as food and other supplies essential to the comfort and Well being of the occupants. In addition, the two end bunkers Nos. l and l0 are provided with air passages therein to aid in the movement of air in the interior of the space ship. Positive air moving means such as blowers (not shown) are mounted beneath the freezer 1li and refrigerator I5 to move air over the heat dissipating portions of the refrigeration components of the freezer and refrigerator. These refrigeration components may include thermoelectric elements and thus air must be passed over the heat radiating tins associated with said elements for maximum performance. The air is drawn inwardly by the air moving means through the air passages in end i Abunkers Nos. land l0, passed over the refrigeration components, and outwardly near the door of the kitchen.

As is shown in FGURES 4 and 5, one end bunker No. l0 is provided with a transverse horizontal partition 33 above the bottom thereof to provide a space 34. Air openings at the front of this space are provided by an eX- panded aluminum grill 35 having holes therein for the passage of air. The rear 34a of this space is open so that the rear of the space communicates with spaces behind the refrigerator' l5 in connection with the one end bunker No. l and the freezer life in connection with the tirst end bunker No. l `for passage of air as described above. The two end bunkers are constructed similarly.

VIn order to simplify-the drawings, stored articles within the bunkers are not/shown. However, the storage means for certain illustrative -bunkers are shown. Thus, Vin each of 'the end bunkers, as 'exempliiied by the one end bunker of FIGURE 4, there is provided Vabove the partition 33 a plurality of vertically extending aluminum sheets 36' arranged parallel to leach other and having their lower ends attached to the aluminum partition 33 and their upper ends attached to a curved upper aluminum sheet 37 that Vfollows the curvature of the curved wall 26 but is spaced inwardly thereof to provide an air space, These vertical aluminum' sheets 36 are slotted as illustrated in FIGURE' 5 with one set of slots in all the sheets being horizontally aligned; Each horizontally aligned section of slots is adapted to hold a plastic sheet 3S which may be linear polyethylene. An exemplary' thickness of these sheets is about '0.032 inch. Stored articles are intended to be placed onthese sheets SS'and be held in place not only`by the vertically extending aluminum sheets 36 but also by spaced elastic `cords 39 of the type illustrated in FIGURES 6 and 7 in connection with bunker No. 7. The front of each bunker as illustrated in FIGURE 4 is a solid sheet 40o aluminum.

Each of the bunkers rotates on `the pipe 21 about a sleeve bearing 41, as illustrated in FIGURE 5, and this bearing may be of nylon or the like. A typical ntermediate bunker No. 7 is illustrated in partially broken away'planvie'w in FIGURE 3 and the opposite sides are shown in sectional elevations in FIGURES 6 and 7. As is'shown in FIGURE 6 the left-hand side of this typical bunker, as`viewed in FIGURES 1, 2 and 3 is provided with vertical sheets of aluminum 42 having their opposite ends connected to the cur-ved top 43 and horizontal bottom 44d aluminum sheets ofthe bunker. The'front of the bunker comprises a vertical aluminum sheet 44 at the top anda downwardly and rearwardly sloped aluminum sheet 45 Vat the bottom. Thus, each bunker is completely enclosed at the top,v front and bottom. The vertically spaced and, parallel sheets 42 of .aluminum are Vslotted so as to provide horizontally aligned slots -in the assembly of vertical sheets. Each aligned set of slots retains a plastic sheet 46that is similar to the plastic sheets 38 previousl'y described.' Then, fthe sides of the bunker are 'provided with vertical elastic cords 47 which may be made otrubber or vthe like with theupper .ends of the cords being held in L-.shaped brackets 48' attached to the curved aluminum' sheet top 43 and the lower ends of the cords being attached to ilanges 49. The assembly of vertical cords 47 are located on opposite sides of the bunkers and may be displaced when the bunker is in forward access position to insert and remove-stored articles.

As` shown in FIGURE 3 the bunker No. 7 is divided into the two parts by a vertical aluminum sheet 5t?. As previously explained, on one side of the sheet are located .the vertical aluminum sheets 42, horizontal plastic sheets 46 andthe one set ofside elastic cords 47. On the opposite side of the dividing sheet Sil a different type of holding means is provided. This holding means comprises vertical corrugated aluminum sheets 51 having their tops and bottoms attached in the same manner as the .sheets 42 with spaced substantially horizontal wires 52 extending through'and attached to the corrugated alustoredarticles suchl as paper packets which are of slightly greater-width thanl theminimum opening between the corrugated sheets 51# This side of the Ybunker is also provided with a set of vertical elastic cords 47. These cords retain the several packets and packages stored within they bunkers when the bunkers are open under zero gravity conditions.

As best shownvin FIGURES 3, 4 and 5, guide-angles 54 and guide-Ts 55 are secured to the interior wall 26.

These guide members guide the rotation of the bunkers as they .are rotated from the closed to open positions. In addition these guide members 54 and 55 provide load bearing support for the bunkers under the extreme thrusts imposed in a longitudinal direction as in blasting oft or decelerating 'to land.

As can be seen, the space kitchen including the storage bunkers provides maximum accommodation for the smallest amount of space. The weight is kept to a minimum not only by using lightweight metals such as aluminum alloys but .also-by providing simplified supporting means which include the wall means of the interior living space as well as a second support means for retaining the bunkers in position underv gravity-conditions and a thirdV support means which assists in retaining the bunkers in position even under conditions of little .or no weight. in addition, the bunkers are so constructed that when they are in storage position'they are automatically closed to prevent accidental dislodgment of stored articles. Then, when each bunker', asrdesired, is moved to access position the articles maybe easily removed such as by displacing holding means exemplified by the elastic cords of the illustrated embodiment.

Having described our invention as related to the embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings, it is our intention vthat the'invention be not limited by any of the details of description, unless otherwise specified, but rather be construed broadly within its spirit and scope as set out in the accompanying claims.

The embodiment of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed is dened as follows:

1. Storage apparatus for ya space vehicle and the like having interior wall means, comprising:v a plurality of Y storage units movable from and toward storage position minum sheets 5l. These wires serve to. retain in position v adjacent said wall means; support means for said units; and means in one of said units forming a first Ventilating passage having one end communicating with a space adjacent said wall` means and an opposite end communicating with a space inwardly'o said wall means and storage units when said one unit is in the storage position, said support means being arranged to space said one unit from said interior wall means-to provide a second Ventilating passage therebetween when said one unit is moved away v from said storage position.

2. Storage apparatus for a' space vehicle and the like having interior wall means and means forming a living space inwardly of said wall` means, comprising: a plurality of storage units movable from and toward-storage position adjacent said wall means; support means for said units; additional apparatus beneath said storage unitsv adjacent but spaced from said wall means; and means in oneof said units forming a first Ventilating passage extending from said living space, through said unit to the space between said interior wall means and vsaid additional apparatus when said one unit is inthe storage position, said support. means being arranged to space said one unit from said interior wall means to provide a second Ventilating passage therebetween when said one unit is movedk away from said storage position. Y t li3'. Weight conserving storage apparatus for a space vehicle and the like having interior wall means, comprising: a plurality of storage units movable from and toward storage position adjacent said wall means; a xed member on'which said units are rotatable from saidwall `means and thus said storage position 'toward an access position, the center of gravity of said unitsV beinglocated between saidiixed member and said wall means when said unitsare in said storagerposition; additional apparatus beneath` said storage units adjacent but spaced from said wall means; means in .one of said units forming a Ventilating. passage extending through said unit to the space between said interior wall means and said additional apparatus; and means in-said-one unit above said ventilating passage forming an'article storage section.

vehicle and the like having interior Wall means, comprising: a plurality of storage units movable from and toward storage position adgacent said wall means, said storage units being aligned and including a pair or" end units; support means for said units; additional apparatus beneath said storage units adjacent but spaced from said interior wall means; means in each of said end units forming a Ventilating passage extending through said unit to the space between said interior wall means and said additional apparatus, and means in each of said end units above said Ventilating passage forming an article storage section.

5. Weight conserving storage apparatus for a space vehicle and the like having interior wall means, comprising: a plurality of storage units movable from and toward storage position, said storage units being aligned and including a pair of end units; a plurality of cooperating support means for said units one of which comprises said wall means, a second or" which constitutes a support under gravity conditions and a third of which constitutes a support under substantially zero gravity conditions, said sec- 5 ond support means comprising a fixed member on which said units are rotatable from said wall means and thus said storage position toward an access position, the center of gravity of said units being located between said fixed member and said wall means when said units are in said storage position; additional apparatus beneath said storage units' adjacent but spaced from said interior Wall means; means in each of said end units forming a ventilating passage extending through said units to the space between said interior wall means and said additional apparatns; means in each of said end units above said ventilating passage forming an article storage section; and means in each of said storage units and said storage sections for retaining stored articles regardless of gravity conditions.

2,349,541 Earle May 23, 1944 Hamilton NOV. l, 191() 

1. STORAGE APPARATUS FOR A SPACE VEHICLE AND THE LIKE HAVING INTERIOR WALL MEANS, COMPRISING: A PLURALITY OF STORAGE UNITS MOVABLE FROM AND TOWARD STORAGE POSITION ADJACENT SAID WALL MEANS; SUPPORT MEANS FOR SAID UNITS; AND MEANS IN ONE OF SAID UNITS FORMING A FIRST VENTILATING PASSAGE HAVING ONE END COMMUNICATING WITH A SPACE ADJACENT SAID WALL MEANS AND AN OPPOSITE END COMMUNICATING WITH A SPACE INWARDLY OF SAID WALL MEANS AND STORAGE UNITS WHEN SAID ONE UNIT IS IN THE STORAGE POSITION, SAID SUPPORT MEANS BEING ARRANGED TO SPACE SAID ONE UNIT FROM SAID INTERIOR WALL MEANS TO PROVIDE A SECOND VENTILATING PASSAGE THEREBETWEEN WHEN SAID ONE UNIT IS MOVED AWAY FROM SAID STORAGE POSITION. 